Politico: Ron Johnson: Budget not ‘serious’
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Wednesday criticized President Barack Obama’s lack of leadership on the budget, charging it is not a “serious” document.
“Obviously releasing a budget two months late is leading from behind, which is not a real good idea,” the Senate Budget Committee member said.
“I mean it is not a serious budget,” Johnson added on Fox News. “It never provides balance. [It] doesn’t put us on a glide path to actually live within our means. What the president is really proposing is increasing spending and increasing the deficit in that first year, then extrapolate that for the next 10 years. That is what his proposal looks like to me - more increased spending, more increased taxes and unfortunately more increased deficits.”
The Republican also slammed Obama’s push to increase taxes on the wealthy, arguing that he would really harm small businesses.
“Economic growth is going to be far more effective at really increasing revenue and reducing our deficits than punishing success, and unfortunately this president doesn’t understand that,” he said.
Johnson did, however, nod in approval at Obama’s willingness to put chained CPI on the table, saying that it presented “a more accurate reflection of true inflation.”
“I’m looking at addressing these problems by first and foremost, going to the American people and describing the true seriousness, the true depth of the problem. That is the first step in reaching solutions,” the lawmaker said. “We need to first be truthful and honest with the American people in a bipartisan fashion. That is the first step. You’ve got to admit you have got a problem.”
